Football helmet face guard



March 19, 1957 R. P. SNYDER FOOTBALL HELMET FACE GUARD Filed June 2', 1955 United Sitates Patent FOOTBALL HELMET FACE GUARD Robert P. Snyder, Redford, Ind.

Application June 2, 1955, Serial No. 512,659

1 Claim. (Cl. 2--9) This invention relates to a device for attaching to a football helmet to protect the face of a football player, and particularly his nose.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a device rigid in nature and which may be attached to any gellmet now being made in which there are the usual ear A further primary object of the invention is to provide a. structure of the nature indicated which may be quickly and positively attached to a helmet, and yet may be detachable when desired, all with the feature of the guard remaining fixed in position.

A still further primary object of the invention is to provlde such a guard which is not dependent upon a chain strap nor any other means for adjusting the guard in position other than its specific attaching means which cooperates with the margin of the ear hole for securing the guard in position. These and many other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a helmet to which the invention is applied;

Fig. 2 is a view in top plan;

Fig. 3 is a detail in vertical section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail in vertical elevation of the inside of the guard securing means.

A guard generally designated by the numeral is formed out of rigid material such as metal and is preferably covered with a rubber-like material such as rubber or synthetic rubber latex. The guard 10 is generally U- shaped and consists of a pair of side plates 11 and 12 from which the guard extends around through an arcuate portion 13. The plates 11 and .12 are solid in nature, and the portion 13 consists of a pair of upper and lower rods 14 and 15 which extend from upper and lower edge portions of the plate respectively. These rods 14 and 15 are spaced apart by substantially vertically disposed interconnecting posts 16. It is desirable to have a front center post 16a with the other posts 16 spaced around therefrom on the relative sides of the guard.

The helmet 17 is made in the usual form, and is provided with an ear hole 18 on each side. The helmet 17 is generally made out of a rather heavy plastic material so that it is flexible to some extent. Each of the plates 11 and 12 are secured to the respective left and right hand sides of the helmet 17 to have the rear end portions of those plates 11 and 12 overlap the ear holes 18. Each of the plates 11 and 12 has a hole 19 theretbrough ice equal substantially to the area and shape of the hole 18 provided in the helmet 17.

A metal ferrule 20 is passed through each of the openings in the plates 11 and 12 to extend through the helmet openings 1.55 and present an externally threaded end portion 21 within the helmet. A nut 22 preferably cylindrical in shape and having notches 25 spaced therearound to receive a spanner wrench screw-threadedly engages the inner end of the ferrule 20 and is drawn up tightly on the ferrule so to cause the plate 12 for example Fig. 3, to be drawn by means of a ferrule flange 23 compressibly against the wall 24 of the helmet 17. Since the helmet wall 24 is made out of a plastic, it is somewhat resilient and presents what might be termed, a friction surface in respect to the contacting area of the plates thereagainst.

Thus by means of revolving the guard 10 about the ferrule 20 on each side, and then holding the guard in the selected position such as is represented in Fig. 1, the nuts 22 are then drawn up snugly so as to hold the guard rigidly in that position.

That is all there is required to secure the guard 10 in the desired position on the helmet 17. It is to be noted that there is no interconnection between the guard 10 and the usual chin strap 26. In other words, the chin strap 26 may be adjusted to the wearer of the helmet who may have a projecting chin or a receding chin all indedendently of the positioning of the guard 10. The wearer can see readily over the top of the guard 10 and also see through the guard 10 toward the ground as may be necessary. In other words the guard 10 being of openwork, and being readily adjusted to being fixed in position does not obscure the vision of the player. Also the guard 10 being made out of the rigid metal forms a very perfect protection for the player and does not bend or break under the usual playing conditions.

Therefore While I have shown and described my invention in the one particular form, it is obvious that structural changes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore I do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claim.

I claim:

The combination with a head protecting helmet having a hole therethrough on each side located to be over the ears of the wearer, of a rigid, U-shaped face guard having rigidly connected terminal end portions straddling the helmet; a plate constituting each of said end portions; said plates being offset upwardly and rearwardly from said guard, and each plate having a hole therethrou-gh matching said helmet holes; supporting means carried by said helmet about the helmet holes pivotally extending through said plate holes, about which means said plates may be adjustably turned selectively to lift and lower said guard; said plates each having a surface bearing against the helmet about said helmet holes frictionally resisting turning of the plates about said means; and means carried by said supporting means compressibly urging said plates against the helmet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,527,023 Bowden Feb. 17, 1925 2,281,152. Hollingsworth Apr. 28, 1942 2,320,770 Cover June 1, 1943 2,611,897 Adams Sept. 30, 1952 

